Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Op-ed Details Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015

Statement

This weekend, I was given the opportunity to write a guest piece for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. This article allowed me to explain in detail the purpose of the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 so constituents could understand the threats our national forests face and how to win the battle against wildfire and overgrowth.

Here is a clip of the article, where I discuss the importance of proper forestry management techniques.

You see, on private timberland and many state lands, voluntary best-management forestry standards are put in place that ensure sustainable reforestation to promote healthy forests that produce construction materials, paper, and other consumer products while providing an array of multiple uses including recreation, wildlife habitat, better water quality, cleaner air, and soil protection.

However, in recent years, scientific forest management practices like controlled burns and timber harvesting have been challenged in court, resulting in overgrown, stressed forests that are unhealthy and subject to natural calamities. The trend has moved toward "unmanaged" forestland on national forests with one caveat. When a fire starts, we are put in a reactive management position of fighting the fire. As a result, states like California and Colorado have experienced some of the most destructive wildfires on record during the last two decades.

To reverse this trend, I introduced the Resilient Federal Forests Act on June 4. This bill would utilize tools already available to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and provide protection to America's forests.

If you agree that it is time for the government to stop listening to special interests and to start doing what is right for our citizens, the national forests, and the industries that depend upon the land for survival, then please share this post and let others know about the work I am doing in Congress. The actions I've taken since coming to Washington are about keeping a promise I made on the campaign trail - less hassle, more freedom. This bill is one example of that promise being kept.

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